Seven years ago, Bob Garrett, the co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, had an idea:

Open the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years.

There were lots of reasons Garrett and others thought it was a fine idea, among them a looming physician shortage in the state, and the ongoing problem of New Jersey's best students leaving for schools elsewhere.

Build it, he thought, and they will not only come, but stay as well. Studies indicate that students often choose to practice where they train.

Dreams realized

On Wednesday, Garrett's vision came to pass, as the medical school officially opened its doors, with Gov. Phil Murphy and other dignitaries on hand.

It was also a step toward the realization of a dream for Hannah Sidoti, who will be among the 60 or so students in Hackensack Meridian medical school's first class on July 9.

Her mother, Donna, said Sidoti has wanted to be a doctor since she met television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz, who performed life-saving heart surgery on her grandmother.

Dr. Jeffrey Boscamp, Associate Dean of Medical Education Continuum, leads a tour of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine following a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, May 30, 2018. Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com

Dr. Jeffrey Boscamp, Associate Dean of Medical Education Continuum, leads a tour of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine following a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, May 30, 2018. Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com

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Sidoti was born in Clifton and attended Clifton public schools until sixth grade, when her family moved to Pequannock. She graduated from Pequannock High School and got her bachelor's degree from Stevens Institute of Technology.

"It's definitely a dream come true," Donna Sidoti said.

No panic

Hannah Sidoti's dream realized is also the end of a local nightmare, said state Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Wood-Ridge.It was shock when Hoffmann La Roche, the pharmaceutical giant that had occupied the site since 1929, announced its intention to close in 2012.

"We all had that empty feeling in our bellies," Sarlo said.

Fortunately, local and state officials focused on the long term. They did not rush out, tear down the Roche campus and build a shopping mall.

Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine on Wednesday, May 30, 2018.(Photo11: Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com)

Rather, they needed something to replace Roche's good jobs.

Both Pascrell and Sarlo said they were impressed by the commitment to turn around the situation. Sarlo said he found key allies in the state Legislature.

"All they would ask is, 'Is this going to be a return on our investment?' " Sarlo said.

State and local officials think it will.

Clifton Councilmen James Anzaldi and Bill Gibson said they were impressed that everyone took the view that it takes time to work through these problems.

Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine on Wednesday, May 30, 2018.(Photo11: Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com)

It was not only local officials looking forward to opening day. Regionally and statewide, leaders are banking that the medical school will also be an engine for economic growth.

"This is a huge deal for New Jersey," Murphy told scores of elected officials and medical leaders who came out to cut the ribbon.

"It is the heart that beats a new life into the community," he said.

To Pascrell, it was forward thinking by the likes of Garrett, Hackensack Meridian and the Seton Hall board of regents that made the difference.

"They could have found a million reasons not to do this," Pascrell said. "Yet, we are here today."

He added that, under the guidance of Seton Hall and the medical's school dean, Dr. Bonita Stanton, they embarked on not just a new medical school but a new vision of practicing good medicine that focuses on better outcomes through an increased focus on improving overall health.

Holistic approach

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“Our goal is to improve health outcomes in all of the communities we serve, and we can do that by teaching future physicians to take a more holistic approach,’’ Stanton said.

The school will operate in an untraditional fashion, bringing nurses and other health professionals into the same courses and training with future doctors.

“We have created a rigorous academic curriculum that combines traditional science with a focus on the new frontiers in medicine,’’ said Seton Hall interim President Mary Meehan.

Dr. Jeffrey Boscamp, Associate Dean of Medical Education Continuum, leads a tour of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine following a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, May 30, 2018.(Photo11: Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com)

Meehan, Stanton and Dr. Jeffrey Boscamp led attendees on a tour of the building, where millions of dollars was spent replacing labs left behind.

"That was a shame," Boscamp said, because they were state-of-the-art, as was Roche's lecture hall, which will be replaced by "learning studios."

"I'm thinking we're going to make popcorn and show movies there," Boscamp said of the one lecture hall that came with the building. The teaching approach, he said, "is no longer sage on the stage, but the guide on your side."

It fits in well with Stanton's and Meehan's vision of all students — medical, nursing and health sciences — attending classes and training together.

"Studies show that when we work together as a team, outcomes are improved," Meehan said.